Olds agreed that he doesn't see any major impact on LinkedIn users "in the short or even medium term," he said. "I don't see Microsoft doing much of anything to interfere with a model that's currently working well. We might see some advertising sneaking its way into the product in various places, plus more and different membership options as well, but no sweeping changes."

Olds also noted that he doesn't see LinkedIn users being freaked out that Microsoft will soon have access to all of their information and professional contacts.

"I don't think Microsoft is seen as the same evil company they might have seemed like back in the 1990's," he said. "All Microsoft really wants to do is sell software and a little bit of advertising -- not rule the world, a la Google. I don't think that most users will have a problem with Microsoft having the kind of personal information they'd post on LinkedIn."